Method of restoring deteriorated rivet heads



April l0, 1934.-

y A. G. LEAKE 1,954,358

METHOD OF RESTORING DETERIORATED RIVET HEADS Filed Deo. 50. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l April l0, 1934. A G LEAKE 1,954,358

METHOD OF RESTORING DETERIORATED RIVET HEADS kFiled Dec. '30. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I mmf 28 .f 3mm mm /2 M 4Q Patented Apr. 10, 1934 METHOD F RESTORIKNG;` DETERIORATED RIvEr HEADS i Arthur G. Leake, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application December 30, 1931, Serial No. 583,813

6 Claims.

This invention relates to built-up structures of structural members secured togetherbyrivets and more particularly to a method and means of restoring deteriorated rivet heads.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved method an means of restoring deteriorated rivet heads in structural members without remo-ving the rivets or tearing down the structure, and therefore may be applied while the structure is in position and even under load.

It is also an object to provide an improved method and means for restoring deteriorated rivet heads and at the same time adding new strengthening members to either restore the strength of the old structure that has become more or less reduced, or to add increased sections and strength to a structure still in good condition to strengthen it soas to carry an increased 2o load.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in a certain novel method and an improved structure as will be more fully disclosed in connection with the accompanying drawings.

' In these drawings: l

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a girder or beam showing the application of my invention using additional strengthening members;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof substantially on line 2-2 ofiFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view;

Fig. l4 is an enlarged section substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing the application of my invention without the additional strengthening member;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section substantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is atop plan view thereof; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring first more particularly to Figs.' 1 to 4, the structural members-shown comprise a web 10 and angle members 12 secured along the upper and lower edges thereof by means of rivets 13. To the horizontal flanges of these angle members are secured reinforcing plates 14 by means of rivets 15. This particular structure is shown merely for illustration as the method and means may be employed with any structural members secured together by rivets. If. the rivet heads are deteriorated so that they are materially weakened, they may be restored to full strength by this method and even additional strength added to the structure without tearing down the'structure, and even while it is still in position and under load.

Assuming that the outer heads of the rivets 15 have become weakened and corroded, the rst 60 operation is to remove the deteriorated portion of the heads down to the solid metal which is in good condition. This can be done by burning or cutting off the deteriorated portion of the head, which is indicated by the dotted line 16 in Fig. e5 4, and leaving va portion 17 which is in good condition, and the upper surface of which is clean and in good condition. Then if it is desired to increase the strength of the built-up structure a-new plate or other structural member 18 or 19 70 may be provided with a series of openings 20 of a spacing corresponding to the spacing of the rivets and preferably of somewhat larger diameter than the rivet heads. This member is placed p against the old plate 14 or other member to be 75 strengthened with the openings 20 over the cleaned ends of the rivets. Then the head of the rivet islbuilt-up with weld metal as indicated at 21, preferably flush with the outer surface of the strengthening member or plate 18 or 19, this so head being welded thoroughly to the edges of the openings 20, to the clean top surface of the end 17 of the rivet and to the clean surface of the plate 14, as indicatedat 24, it being of course understood that before applying the strengthen.- ing member 18 or 19 the surface of the old mem- -ber 14 is cleaned of the paint, rust or scale by any suitable means such as an acetylene oxygen torch, scraping, and the cleaning with a wire brush, and/or other cleaningtcols. The `Weld metal is preferably applied by electric welding, the metal being welded in position from a welding rod. The edges of the strengthening member 18 or plates 14 may be welded as required. At the top of Figs. 1 and'2 the added member 18 is 95 shown narrower than the plate 14, and therefore its edges are welded to the surface of the plate 14 by weldv metal as indicated at 22. At the lower end of Figs. 1 and `2 plate 19 is shown of greater width than the plate 14 and therefore the edges of the plate 14 are welded tothe surface of the plate 19 as indicated at 23.

l The openings in the strengthening members 18 and 19 maybe provided by punching, drilling, burningv or other suitable means, and although it is shown as a plate in the drawings, it will be obvious that it may be of any other suitable shape, such as angles, channels and the like. It will also be understood that although the invention is shown as applied to a built-up girder or beam, it may be applied for reinforcing deteriorated rivet heads in and for reinforcing all types of structural members, /such as beams, trusses, columns, chords of trusses, webs or girders, various built-up girders, and the like. It will be evident that the vstrength of the rivet is fully restored and even increased by this procedure, and that the rivets can-be restored andthe strengthening member applied while the structure remains in position without the necessity of tearing it down.

If it is not necessary or desirable to add an extra section to the built-up structure, such as the strengthening members 18 or 19, the head of the rivet and therefore the full strength of the rivet can be restored as shown in Figs. 1 to 8. Here after thedeteriorated head of the rivet has been removed as indicated in connection with Figs. 1 to 4 leaving the end portion 17 with the clean surface 25, and the surface 26 of the member 14 cleaned about the rivets, the head of the rivet can be built-up and restored to the size of the standard rivet head by means of the weld metal 27 welded on electrically -from a welding rod, the metal being welded on simultaneously to the'surface of the portion 17 of the rivet and also to the surface of the member 14 'around the periphery of this portion as indicated at 28. This restores the full strength of the rivet and even increases it, and the rivets can be restored one at a time without in any Way disturbing the structure, and while it remains in position.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what- I claim is:

1. The method of restoring deteriorated rivet heads in structural members which comprises removing the deteriorated portion of the heads, placing against the old member a new structural member having openings to receive the remaining portions of the heads, and building up the heads by welding weld metal to the sides of the openings and to the remaining portions of the rivets.

2. The method of restoring deteriorated rivet heads in structural members which comprises removing the deteriorated portion of the heads, placing against the old member a new structural member having holes about the cleaned ends of the rivets, and then building up the ends of the rivets bywelding weld metal to the ends of the brivets and to the edges of the holes.

3. The method of restoring deteriorated rivet heads in structural members which comprises removing the deteriorated portion of the heads, placing against the old member a new structural member havingr holes to receive the cleaned ends of the rivets, and then building up the ends of the rivets by Welding Weld metal to these ends, the edges of the holes and to the old member about the rivet ends. y

.4. The method of restoring deteriorated rivet heads in structural members Which comprises removing the deteriorated portion of the heads, placing against the old member a new structural member having holes in alignment with the cleaned ends of the rivets, and filling up the holes substantially flush with the outer surface of the new member by welding in weld metal.

5. A reinforced structure comprising structural members secured together by rivets, and a reinforcing member engaging one of said members having openings about the ends of the rivets and the openings lled up ush with the outer surface of the reinforcing member by Weld metal Welded to the rivets and the edges of the openmgs.

6. A reinforced structure comprising structural members secured together by rivets, and a reinforcing member engaging one of said members having openings about the ends of the rivets and larger than the shank of the rivet, and the openings lled in to provide heads for the rivets by weld metal Welded to the rivets, the edges of the openings and to the old structural member about the rivet shanks.

ARTHUR G. LEAKE. 

